The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a gas turbine premixer configured to premix fuel and air for combustion in a combustor of a gas turbine engine. More particularly, the subject matter disclosed herein relates to a cooling system for the gas turbine premixer.
A gas turbine engine combusts a mixture of fuel and air to generate hot combustion gases, which in turn drive one or more turbines. In particular, the hot combustion gases force turbine blades to rotate, thereby driving a shaft to rotate one or more loads, e.g., electrical generator. As appreciated, a flame develops in a combustion zone having a combustible mixture of fuel and air. Unfortunately, the flame can sometimes become located on or near surfaces not designed to be in close proximity to the reaction, which can result in damage due to the heat of combustion. This phenomenon in a fuel/air premixer is generally referred to as flame holding. For example, the flame holding may occur on or near a fuel-air premixer, which can rapidly fail due to the heat of combustion. Likewise, the flame can sometimes propagate upstream from the combustion zone, and cause damage to various components due to the heat of combustion. This phenomenon is generally referred to as flashback.